Book picks similar to
Innocent Beings by Barbara Thumann-Calderaro


speculative-fiction
vegetarian
young-adult
animal-rights

Inshallah


Alys Einion - 2014
    Her new life is strange and confusing and sometimes frightening. Amanda can barely understand Arabic and the treatment of the women of the family seems wrong to a girl raised in Wales. To add to her problems, Mohammed proves to be verbally and physically abusive - especially once they have their own flat away from the protection of the wider family. Somehow Amanda must escape, but not without her children.

Horses Of The Rain (The Outback Riders Book 4)


Leanne Owens - 2019
    The peace is fractured by the brewing storms, and hot days end with lightning in the distance as the monsoonal band heads their way, bringing record floods. There are personal storms, as well, with Dane struggling with depression as his family and friends seek to help, and Amy desperate to discover if her father is still alive. When the record rains arrive, their part of the outback becomes an inland sea, and a neighbor's horses and cattle are doomed to drown unless the outback riders saddle up and risk their lives to save them. Horses of the Rain is the fourth in The Outback Riders series, and the teens are a bit older and facing problems that many teens need to overcome. They are falling in love, making plans for the future, and finding their way through life. Polo, the rock star, returns to ride with them, and the Min Min lights continue to watch over them. Leanne Owens lived in the outback for many years and saw the Min Min lights, she teaches high school students, and has won dozens of national titles with her horses - so The Outback Riders is the perfect 'write what you know' series as she knows the outback, teenagers, and horses. This version has U.S. spelling.

The Complete Opposite of Everything


Nour Abou Fayad
    He just doesn’t. He doesn’t overthink, he doesn’t second-guess himself, and he most certainly does not cry.YetThat’s all he’s been doing lately.He’s a mess and he just can’t seem to get it together.His friend, Rami, is no help.Nobody is.UntilYasmin comes along to reconnect with her homeland. She’s been away for too long. She needs to know her roots.And she’s the one person who understands what Adam’s going through, even when he doesn’t.But can two people, both with minds that can’t fully be trusted, help each other navigate the other’s journey towards self-discovery?

Old Man Johnson (Kindle Single)


Andrew Kevin Walker - 2015
    in this off-kilter, coming-of-age romantic comedy.Abbie, a twenty-something free spirit who is dreading her looming parent-mandated enrollment in graduate school, makes a semi-annual pilgrimage to visit her perfectly well meaning and perfectly boring grandfather, Henry. But Abbie is roused out of her quarter-life crisis when she meets her grandfather's persnickety, oddball friend, Johnson. With his cane and elderly clothing, he is the very picture of a bitter old man. The problem is, Johnson is 23 years old, and apparently completely delusional. Also a problem: Abbie is falling in love with him. The first novel from screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, OLD MAN JOHNSON is for the old (and young) at heart.Cover design by Kristen Radtke.Cover painting by Mark Allison.

FARTHER: A Fabulous Tale of a Troubled Father


Chaitanya Desale - 2021
    Fortunate’?Or will you keep blaming your insecurities & failures and choose to be a fiasco?"A sweet couple, Manbir & Nivia, were living with their toddler, Ruhi. They stayed farther from their respective families, cursed by both their parents for having an inter-caste marriage. Manbir was a robotics engineer and while working hard on his dream project to make India’s first AI robot, he failed in his family responsibilities, which was followed by his wife, Nivia’s demise. And when all options were lost, Manbir had to struggle to look after his daughter Ruhi, while continuing to work on his company projects.Will he ever be able to be a great father for his motherless child? Will he ever be able to make India’s first AI robot? And how will he find a way to look after his child during his office hours? To know more, read ‘FARTHER - A Fabulous Tale of a Troubled Father.’

A Painted Smile


B.M. Hardin - 2015
    For Storm Rivers, this very statement had recently become the story of her life. Storm's life had never been all bad; but meeting Jasper Goodson, had definitely put the cherry on the top. Life was better than ever. She was happy and she was in love. And the man of her dreams was Perfect...or was he? What goes on behind a closed door---stays behind a closed door. Storm lived by this motto and as truths about her Mr. Perfect start to unfold, Storm finds herself in a sticky situation and a tug-a-war of what's right...and what's wrong. What is she hiding? Well, you'll have to overlook the Painted Smile on her face to find out.

Little more than a Friend


Paras Goel - 2014
    At early stage he was unaware that he was in love with Siyaa but when their school ended and both of their paths were separated, he went into deep depression. As time passes Ayyan tries many times to get Siyaa back in his life, But what's going on in Siyaa's mind?

FURY RISING (Children of the Mountain Book 4)


R.A. Hakok - 2019
     Exiled from Mount Weather, Gabe, Mags and Johnny make their way north, seeking shelter from the coming storms. With the furies awakening across the country they stumble into the middle of a feud between two unlikely adversaries.

Dorothea Benton Frank Collection: Sullivan's Island \ Plantation \ Isle of Palms \ Shem Creek


Dorothea Benton Frank - 2005
    Contents:Sullivan's IslandPlantationIsle of Palms

Dangerous Tides at Brightwater Bay: Part three in the sparkling new series by Holly Hepburn!


Holly Hepburn - 2020
    But Merry has a secret: the magic has stopped flowing from her fingers. Try as she might, she can’t summon up the sparkle that makes her stories shine. And as her deadline whooshes by, her personal life falls apart too. Alex tells her he wants something other than the future she’d always imagined for them and Merry finds herself single for the first time since – well, ever. Desperate to get her life back on track, Merry leaves London and escapes to the windswept Orkney Islands, locking herself away in a secluded clifftop cottage to try to heal her heart and rediscover her passion for writing. But can the beauty of the islands and the kindness of strangers help Merry to fool herself into believing in love again, if only long enough to finish her book? Or is it time for her to give up the career she’s always adored and find something new to set her soul alight??The brand new series from Holly Hepburn, author of A Year at the Star and Sixpence. Parts one to four in the new series are available to pre-order now: BROKEN HEARTS AT BRIGHTWATER BAY, SEA BREEZES AT BRIGHTWATER BAY, DANGEROUS TIDES AT BRIGHTWATER BAY and SUNSET OVER BRIGHTWATER BAY ~*~Praise for Holly Hepburn~*~ 'A fresh new voice, brings wit and warmth to this charming tale of two sisters' Rowan Coleman 'Warm, witty and laced with intriguing secrets! I want to pull up a bar stool, order a large G&T and soak up all the gossip at the Star and Sixpence!' Cathy Bramley 'You'll fall in love with this fantastic new series from  star of women's fiction, Holly Hepburn. Filled to the brim with captivating characters and fantastic storylines in a gorgeous setting ... simply wonderful. I want to read more!' Miranda Dickinson 'The Star and Sixpence sparkles with fun, romance, mystery, and a hunky blacksmith. It's a real delight' Julie Cohen 'Like the dream pub landlady who always knows exactly what you want, Holly Hepburn has created the most delightful welcome to what promises to be a brilliant series, in the first Star and Sixpence. The sisters are warm and intriguing, the neighbours are (mostly!) friendly and the gossip is utterly addictive. I was very sad when it was time for last orders, and am already looking forward to the next round. Especially if a certain blacksmith happens to be at the bar...' Kate Harrison 'Warm, witty and utterly charming, Snowdrops at the Star and Sixpence is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter's day.

A Trail Too Far: A Western Frontier Adventure (A Rab Sinclair Western Book 1)


Robert R. Peecher Jr. - 2018
    Cummings has hired Rab Sinclair to guide his party as far as Santa Fe.But Rab's easy way in the wilderness does not mix well with the family's Eastern values, and he soon finds himself at odds with some among them. When Amos Cummings' wife and daughter develop a fondness for Rab, the relationship is strained even farther.But when the family encounters the gang of bloodthirsty bandits, their moral code against violence will be tested.When these ruffians abduct one among the emigrants, Rab Sinclair may find that to save his charge he must travel A Trail Too Far.If you love classic Westerns under open skies and over rolling plains, A Trail Too Far promises to be an instant favorite.So check that you've got plenty of beans and jerky, and saddle up for an overland crossing on the Santa Fe Trail. Click the buy button to start reading now!

Mystery Party


Stacey Alabaster - 2017
    Margot runs a French bakery and stumbles into corruption and crime. Felicity launches her party planning business with a bang . . . and a dead body. Follow along as all three women must solve murder mysteries to protect themselves, their businesses, and those they love. This collection of cozy mysteries includes the first book in each of three popular series. If you like cozy mysteries with interesting characters and unexpected twists, the Mystery Party Cozy Mystery Boxed Set is for you. Buy the Mystery Party Cozy Mystery Boxed Set and start solving your next mystery (or three) today! Steps from Death by Stacey Alabaster - When you’re the new girl in a small town, you have to step out of your comfort zone and meet new people. But sometimes that can leave you only Steps from Death. This is book one in the Craft Circle Cozy Mystery series. Croissants and Corruption by Danielle Collins – To all appearances, North Bank is a charming retirement town and tourist attraction - until a murder reveals a darker side of crime and corruption. This is book one in the Margot Durand Cozy Mystery series. Dying for a Drive by Susan Harper – Senoia is a quiet little town . . . until a man drives into town with a classic car to sell but never drives out. This is book one in the Senoia Cozy Mystery series. Always FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Maple Syrup Mysteries Boxed Set, #1-3


Emily James - 2017
    She couldn’t have been more wrong… A STICKY INHERITANCE – BOOK 1 Sometimes the truth can be a sticky thing… Nicole Fitzhenry-Dawes feels like the only failure amid a family of high achievers. Her boyfriend turned out to be married, and her career as a defense attorney is in tatters. When she inherits her uncle’s maple syrup farm, she thinks it’s time for a change—one that keeps her far away from bad guys. For half a day at least. Her uncle’s suicide wasn’t a suicide at all. And as Nicole closes in on his killer, she not only risks becoming the murderer’s next victim, but also starts to wonder if knowing the truth is ever worse than believing the lie… BUSHWHACKED – BOOK 2 Sometimes the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets… What former lawyer Nicole Fitzhenry-Dawes wants is to peacefully run her maple syrup farm. What she gets is a body run over by her car. It turns out to be the manager of the local animal shelter, and his death wasn't the accident it at first seems. With a little finagling, Nicole convinces the interim police chief to allow her to help with the case, even though she’s also busy trying to settle in to her new role as owner of Sugarwood and figure out her unusual friendship with the county medical examiner. As Nicole closes in on being able to put the killer behind bars, will she manage to find the evidence she needs before the murderer puts her in a cage—or a body bag—instead? ALMOST SLEIGHED – BOOK 3 The truth always comes with a price… Former lawyer Nicole Fitzhenry-Dawes has finally settled in to her new home in Fair Haven, and her first maple syrup season is upon them. It’s not going as smoothly as she’d hoped. Their sap lines keep springing leaks, and as if that wasn’t enough, Nicole finds their groom-mechanic, Noah, apparently trampled in one of the horse stalls. Fair Haven’s interim police chief is ready to declare it an accident, but Nicole believes otherwise. With Noah in a coma, she’s determined to figure out who wanted to kill him before the perpetrator can return and finish the job. But whoever attempted to kill Noah has other ideas and is willing to do whatever it takes to stop Nicole from discovering the truth—even destroy Sugarwood and the man Nicole loves. These books are "clean" reads and contain no swearing, gore, or steamy bedroom scenes. While the series is best enjoyed in order, each book is a complete mystery on its own.

The Gorgon's Blood Solution


Jeffrey Quyle - 2013
    But when a stranger offers him an unusual coin, he begins to understand alchemy a little better, and suddenly thinks that it could be a way to make a living after all.Marco’s problem is that fate doesn’t plan for his life to fit that plan, at least not at Algornia’s shop in the Lion City. An evil force is rising, and sending its destructive energy out to scour kingdoms and cities for some unknown purpose. Marco becomes an inadvertent pawn in the machinations of the evil, when he is caught up in the violence and drama of a Corsair raid, and taken away from everything – the Lion City, Algornia’s shop, even Constance the model.There are undreamt of allies and friends and opportunities though, and escape is possible. Starting over a new life is not quite as easy however, as Fate starts to hunt Marco down, demanding that he live up to the challenges that are thrown his way, as a champion begins to emerge to face the brunt force of evil.The Gorgon’s Blood Solution is the first volume in Alchemy’s Apprentice, a new fantasy series by Jeffrey Quyle.

Hit List


Nick Harlow - 2016
    And only organized crime can do it. When a gambler tries to pay a bookie with food stamps, the Mafia realizes the liberal entitlement society has gone too far. With half the country on some sort of government assistance, disposable income is disappearing. And without disposable income, the Mob will soon be out of business. Enough. Three New Jersey Mafia families decide to band together to take control of the country. To do so they must get 12 flaming liberals who are destroying the country with a progressive agenda “out of the way.” A “hit list” that will lead to the ultimate target, the President. But this is the new Mob, using brains and technology instead of bullets. And they have a not-so-secret weapon: a United States Senator who happens to be a blood relative. And blood is thicker than politics.